1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the lubrication of the continuous casting of steels. More particularly, this invention relates to the use of white mineral oil as a lubricant in continuous casting of tellurium steels.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Continuous casting is an innovation of steel making technology. This continuous process eliminates the need to cast many single ingots of steel. In continuous casting, a heat of molten steel is poured into a continuous casting machine producing one long single cast of steel. The steel when solidified is cut into individual slabs or billets.
One problem which appears in continuous casting is that an unlubricated casting will fail. The metal, as it cools in the mold, will weld to and destroy the mold. Lubricants are commonly introduced in the interface between the water cooled mold and the steel being cast. As the lubricant contacts the molten steel the lubricant is consumed by the heat. The cooling, lubrication, resulting gases and the related pressure are believed to prevent the steel from welding to the mold.
In non-tellurium containing steel technology many lubricants are commonly used. Examples of such lubricants are inorganic salts, Crambe and Rape Seed oil, saturated and unsaturated fatty acid, lubricant oils, polybutenes, glass and oil compositions, polyesters, and polymethylsiloxane fluids. Examples of United States patents which contain examples of these lubricants are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,040,396; 3,220,070; 3,397,734; 3,574,112; 3,620,290; 3,685,986; and 3,937,269.
These common organic lubricants are of no use in the continuous casting of steels which contain tellurium. Upon contact with steels containing tellurium, conventional lubricants explode in the casting process. These violent explosions commonly are dangerous to casting personnel and are destructive to the casting and the continuous casting machinery.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to produce a lubricant for tellurium containing steels in continuous casting processes. It is also an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive lubricant for the continuous casting of tellurium steels which avoids the danger of explosion and damage to the personnel, product, and plant equipment.